


The Voidlands

by IAmTheHero



Series: Catharsis [5]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: But also not really purgatory, Gen, He died on the first snow, I don't think Goosefeather would want StarClan after they screwed him over, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Sort of like purgatory, Voidlands, We die like the men Kirishima Eijirou wants us to be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:53:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27613745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmTheHero/pseuds/IAmTheHero
Summary: When a cat is full of spite against StarClan, yet they don't want to go to the Dark Forest, they spend their afterlife in the Voidlands.
Relationships: Featherwhisker & Goosefeather (Warriors)
Series: Catharsis [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1984232
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	The Voidlands

**ThunderClan**

**Leader:** Thrushstar - pale ginger tom with a white locket, paws, and green eyes

 **Deputy:** Stormtail - blue tom with blue eyes

 **Medicine cat:** Featherwhisker - ginger mackerel tabby tom with green eyes and particularly long whiskers

Apprentice, Spottedpaw

**Warriors**

Dappletail - tortoiseshell and white molly with yellow eyes

White-eye - dark gray molly with yellow eyes, one of which is blind

Oakheart - cinnamon mackerel tabby tom with blue eyes

Patchpelt - cinnamon tom with white spots and amber eyes

Bluefur - blue classic tabby molly with blue eyes

Shadefur - blue classic tabby molly with blue eyes and a twisted foreleg

Thistleclaw - ginger classic tabby tom with green eyes and a scarred pelt

Rosetail - tortoiseshell molly with a particularly bushy ginger tail and green eyes

Cloudheart - solid gray tom with yellow eyes and thick fur around his neck

Mousefur - gray molly with yellow eyes

Runningwind - light gray spotted tabby tom with amber eyes

Stonefoot - tiny black tom with a white paw and blue eyes

Tigerpelt - chocolate mackerel tabby tom with amber eyes and long claws

Apprentice, Longpaw

Skystorm - blue classic tabby tom with green eyes

Frostblaze - white molly with yellow eyes and a missing ear

Fogleap - white molly with green eyes

Mistydawn - blue classic tabby molly with blue eyes

Siltstripe - black mackerel tabby tom with blue eyes

Mossfang - dark gray classic tabby molly with blue eyes

**Apprentices**

Longpaw - fawn classic tabby tom with a long tail and yellow eyes

Spottedpaw - dilute tortoiseshell molly with amber eyes

**Queens**

Speckletail - cinnamon classic tabby molly with blue eyes (resident denmother)

Leopardfoot - chocolate spotted tabby molly with amber eyes (mother of Rainkit and Falconkit)

Goldenflower - cinnamon classic tabby molly with blue eyes (mother of Swiftkit and Fallenkit)

**Kits**

Rainkit - fawn-cream tortoiseshell and white molly with amber eyes

Falconkit - dark brown spotted tabby tom with white spots with amber eyes

Swiftkit - cinnamon and white classic tabby tom with amber eyes

Fallenkit - cinnamon mackerel tabby molly with white splotches and amber eyes

**Elders**

Smallear - pale gray tom with yellow eyes and small, battle torn ears

Sparrowpelt - large chocolate spotted tabby tom with amber eyes and a missing tail

Goosefeather - gray spotted tabby tom with blue eyes and unusually short whiskers

Poppydawn - dark ginger mackerel molly with a bushy tail, gray muzzle, and amber eyes

Deerpelt - fawn molly with blind yellow eyes and a scarred face

**Voidlanders**

Prickleshade - ragged black molly with amber eyes

Patchkit - ginger and white tom with faint classic tabby markings and green eyes

Larchkit - black tom with white paws and markings and amber eyes

Petalkit - solid light gray molly with white spots, like petals, and green eyes

* * *

Goosefeather

* * *

Leaf-bare was upon us, and I knew my time was short. Dark clouds covered the sky. Snow was on its way.

StarClan still refused to leave me in peace.

"You have to tell them. The tiger will drown the forest in blood. It has been prophesized!"

Oh, Pearnose. She meant well, or at least I thought that once, but she was incredibly annoying, especially since no one else saw her. My head throbbed. "Drop that nonsense. Tigerpelt ain't gonna do anything."

She scoffed. "How many times must I tell you that the future is set? All you can do is-"

"'Guide my Clanmates.' You've told me that more times than there are stars in StarClan, and you know what, you are _wrong_." The tabby narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth. I continued before she could make up some pathetic excuse. "Bluefur kept her kits, and Thistleclaw still isn't deputy, nor will he ever. I haven't seen puddles of blood around Tigerpelt since Thrushstar became his mentor, and even Thistleclaw has toned down his attitude. Shadefur is still alive.

"The future can be altered."

Bluefur and Oakheart glanced at me, but I didn't care. Everyone thought I was crazy. Perhaps I was. I'd seen things. I'd heard things. I was tired, so tired.

Pearnose sighed. "Goosefeather, I know-"

"Leave me alone." Slowly, I forced myself to my paws. My bones creaked, and one of my knees popped. "I'm going to take a nap now."

"Listen to me!"

With startling speed, I whirled around to face her. She backed away a few steps. Fur fluffed and lips drawn back, I snapped. "I said to leave me alone! You were always there over my shoulder. For once in my life, go away and never come back!"

Silky fur pressed against my flank. I started, turning my rage against the cat who dared touch me. Upon realizing it was only Featherwhisker, I relaxed. "Goosefeather, are you tired?"

I glanced back at where Pearnose was. She was gone. The voices were gone. A profound feeling of relief swept over me, and my strength rapidly drained. Legs weak, I nodded. Featherwhisker wrapped his tail around my back and led me to the elders' den. Confused and curious eyes burned through my pelt and into my skin.

Something cold landed on my nose. I raised my head, and another snowflake hit my eye. For a heartbeat, I stared at the sky in wonder. Few things were as beautiful as snow, and as my end was near, I deserved to watch it at least one last time.

"Goosefeather?"

Featherwhisker stood just inside the den. Green, concerned eyes glowed from the shadows. "I'm comin'," I grumbled. Casting my glance back at the clouds one last time, I padded into the den and to my nest, which was nestled in the very back. I slowly lowered myself into the soft moss.

Featherwhisker covered me with thick blankets of moss. "Is there anything else I can get for you?"

I sighed, truly content for the first time in seasons. _Warm._ "Stay with me. I won't take long." He sat, his tail tip on my flank. "I remember when you were born. I saw Sunstar surrounded by light and glory, and I knew he had a strong destiny before him. Your path was far more subtle but no less awesome." I stretched my foot to rest it on his. "Featherwhisker, you are a far better medicine cat than I ever was."

"No-"

 _"Yes."_ My eyes, glazed with a mild amount of insanity and the nearness of death, met his. I never told him this as much as I should have. "All my life, I was so worried about the future than I never dared live in the present. I brought suffering where I should have helped heal. I murdered my sister." I coughed. My head really hurt; it was as if my skull was crushed beneath the Great Sycamore. "You make an old cat proud."

Featherwhisker pressed his nose into my neck. His whiskers tickled my face. "Get some sleep. You're exhausted."

He wasn't wrong. I wanted to sleep forever. "This is my final sleep, Featherwhisker. Remember me, and be better than I was."

He nuzzled my cheek and whispered something that I couldn't quite make out, but it didn't really matter anymore. I was light as a goose's feather, and just like a feather, I drifted from my body. Stepping from the lump that used to be me, I walked out into the camp. Cold surrounded me, but I didn't feel it near as much as I should have. There were no other spirits hanging around the clearing. Ironic that I was finally free from the dead in death.

* * *

Between StarClan and the Dark Forest laid the Voidlands, a flat, hilled area covered in scraggly bushes with the occasional pool and clump of trees. It gave me distance from the countless prophecies and visions of StarClan while allowing proximity to my family.

Prickleshade slumbered, curled around Petalkit, Patchkit, and Larchkit. I found them soon after I fled StarClan. I couldn't stay - the mere sight of Pearnose was too much for me; I didn't want to talk to her again. I tripped over Patchkit. Prickleshade attacked me. It was a great way for an introduction. We learned a lot about each other. Her sister was Mapleshade, the psychopathic serial killer, and the kits were Mapleshade's as well, although they didn't remember her. I was a madcat. We both had a grudge against StarClan.

While my friends slept, I sat on a rock overlooking the little hollow with the large, bioluminescent mushrooms dotting the landscape. I couldn't sleep; it wasn't an abnormal occurance.

Something bright flared across the sky. Some cat joined StarClan. The falling star spun before promptly it nosedived straight into the ground right in front of me, leaving a very familiar, very confused cat.

"Featherwhisker?"

He jumped. Clearly, he hadn't seen me. Upon catching sight of me, he perked up. "Goosefeather!"

I leapt from the stone and ran over. I greeted him with a gentle nose boop. "I was hoping you would live for many more seasons, my apprentice."

Featherwhisker shrugged, but he didn't appear disappointed. "ThunderClan has a good medicine cat in Spottedleaf."

"Who's this?" Prickleshade appeared, her fur bristling even more than normal. She practically radiated distrust.

I barred her way with my tail. "He's a friend of mine."

"You said you had no friends."

"I said I had _one_ friend."

Before this could escalate into a sort of argument, Featherwhisker intervened. "My name is Featherwhisker."

She sized him up. "Prickleshade."

"Anyway, why are you here and not in StarClan?"

He ducked his head, embarrassed. "I tripped."

I snorted, and Prickleshade straight up laughed. "And whoever came for you didn't notice?"

"Cloudberry was too far ahead."

"Of course it was Cloudberry," I grumbled. "I'll take you to the border, but I won't go any further." I addressed Prickleshade, "I'll meet you and the kits over by the Silverpond by the next cycle."

"Whatever." She brushed her nose against my ear before slinking back to the nest.

And so began the trek to the border. Featherwhisker talked my ear off while I listened silently. _Just like the old days._

"Why are you here?"

"I'm dead, Featherwhisker. As are you."

"I mean _here_." He gestured at the landscape with his tail. "This isn't StarClan."

"Nope, nor do I want it to be. Welcome to the Voidlands: the space between StarClan and the Dark Forest. Those who want nothing to do with StarClan and refuse the Dark Forest come here."

Confusion radiated from him. "Why would anyone not want to go to StarClan?"

Misty blue eyes met a pair of sharp greens. "StarClan is by no means perfect, and it is full of imperfect cats. StarClan makes mistakes, too, and those mistakes cost some cats everything. At the same time, the Dark Forest is horrific, and not every cat who isn't with StarClan deserves eternal solitude."

"So why are you here then?"

"You're smart. Figure it out."

"Does it have anything to do with Prickleshade?"

I rolled my eyes. "Are you really insinuating that I love her?"

"You said it, not me."

I bumped his side. "I have my own reasons for being here. Prickleshade is nice enough company when her sleep isn't disturbed."

"Do we even have to sleep?"

"No, but there really isn't much else to do."

He nodded, thoughtful. We fell into a comfortable silence. Soft swishes from stepping through long grass surrounded us. The misty border separating the Voidlands from StarClan approached. He stopped. "Will I see you again?"

"Of course! Voidlanders can travel through StarClan and the Dark Forest, although only during the new moon. No one is sure why."

"I'll look out for you then!"

"Sure."

"Good."

For a moment, I returned to the early days of our relationship. Cloudberry was only just dead and buried. I was young but no longer innocent and hopeful. I had no idea what to do with Featherpaw, who was only a few moons younger than myself and used to a strict and ordered regimen under Adderfang. The first season was rough on both of us, and fights were all too common. _Look how far we've come._

He was already on the other side of the mist, but I had to let him know. "Featherwhisker." He glanced over his shoulder. "I missed you."

With eyes soft as snow, he replied. Four words and warmth constricted my chest. "I missed you, too."

**Author's Note:**

> Lemme know what y'all think. Don't be afraid to offer constructive criticism.


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